If you are a socialite and you usually attend parties in Oyo State, Ogun, Osun or Lagos, you would have noticed 4 special ladies on wheelchairs who frequently attend top social events. They are based in Ibadan but so popular and loved by the celebs that they love to see them around in any of their social functions. They have been attending parties for quite a number of years. It would interest you further that these special ladies though physically challenged have business ventures they run. They don’t mix up their business with pleasure as they have a well structured weekly schedule that allows them to party.
Speaking to City People’s Jamiu Abubakar, one of the ladies, Toyin Asawale reveals many things about their age-long friendship and why many celebs invite them to their parties.
“My name is Toyin Asawale. I live in Ibadan. We have been friends for a very long time. We became friends at the age of 20 and we are still friends at the age of 52. We all got married at the age of 26. We have children and we have our respective businesses. For example, I’m a hairstylist, the lady beside me is Amudalat Alao, she is a trader. The third person beside me is Abosede Adisa, She sells provisions in wholesales. The last person sitting at the extreme is Jelilat Rashidi, and she sells ready-made clothes. We thank God that since we have been friends, we have never had any course to go separate ways. This alone has made socialites in Ibadan love us. They regard us so highly that they have developed an interest in us. If any of us have challenges, once we approach them, they are always happy to assist us.
“We give all our children a proper education. They attended private primary and private secondary school. They attended God’s Blessing Group of Schools in the Yemetu area of Ibadan. Some of them graduated from George and Duke School in Ibadan. After they completed their secondary education, they got admitted into the university. Among them are those in FUNAAB, UNILORIN and LAUTECH. So we thank God and pray that we will be able to train them successfully. We also have their younger ones studying in Ibadan Poly, the Polytechnic in Shaki while some are still writing WASSCE in a school here in Mokola, Ibadan. We no longer have children in primary school; they are either in secondary school or higher institutions. “God is really blessing us. People in Oyo State love how we cooperate and relate with one another. We sincerely appreciate the people of Oyo State, Lagos State, Ogun and Osun. We are known across these states and they regard highly us a lot.
“We don’t gate crash at parties. Celebrities usually invite us to their parties. In fact, they even buy the clothes we wear to parties. Like today’s event, we were invited. We have our invitations and pass. If we don’t have them, the bouncers wouldn’t have allowed us into the hall. So, we don’t attend parties if we are not invited. In Ogun State alone, the likes Alh. BKK, Otunba Alan Q, the Akile of Ìjebú land and so many of them. When they have an event, they invite us because they really love seeing us at their parties. We also have Yinka Oropo. He is another person who likes seeing us around. Even if he has parties in Lagos, he usually invites us.
“We have been in our respective businesses for a while. Our children are always in charge when we are away. We also employ salespersons to assist us in our trade. From Monday to Thursday we are always at our shops to monitor our businesses morning till evening but when it’s weekends, we attend the parties we are invited to. We stay clear of the ones we are not given invitations to. We don’t gate crash events so that we won’t be embarrassed. It does not befit us at the age of 52 years. So we don’t attend parties where we are not invited”.
